WRECK OF THE CHALLENGER. 43 



musket had a pistol, cutlas, or pike. Each quarter 

 watch had their appointed station, to form in when 

 called out under arms. The marines formed in 

 the centre of the camp, and intended to act, as 

 necessary, in support of the weakest point. 



It was understood that silence was strictly to 

 be kept, and not a shot fired until orders were 

 given from the captain. All were regularly mus- 

 tered, under arms, every night before supper; 

 the arms discharged and reloaded, and the ne- 

 cessary steps taken to ensure their readiness for 

 use. The two boat cannonades were each in 

 charge of a quarter watch. At night every body 

 slept with their arms by their side. Besides the 

 sentinels, who called out the half hours through- 

 out the night, a watchword was established, 

 and an officer and midshipman were constantly 

 moving about the encampment and visiting the 

 posts. Such were the precautions used in our 

 endeavours to secure our camp. The Indians, 

 who brought from the hills each his grass-net of 

 apples, potatoes, or fowls, to exchange with us 

 for whatever we had, were requested to carry on 

 their marketing in a small mound of sand, about 

 100 yards from us j and we put up a staff, with a 

 cross, to indicate the spot, getting an interpreter 



